Save the Manuals!

Like me, you may have noticed an alarming paucity of vehicles offering fully manual transmissions. Even sports-car stalwart Ferrari, of gated-shifter fame, isn't providing a three-pedal option on the new 458 Italia. Equally distressing, I read in the Washington Post that our nation's hard-texting youth have pronounced driving seriously lame, with only about 30 percent of 16-year-olds having acquired driving licenses as of 2008. I can't help but think these things are related.

If folks learned to operate the entire car, not just the steering wheel and occasionally the brakes, I'd bet they'd like driving better. If they knew the sense of control imparted by that third pedal, I'd bet they would strive for its mastery. If they knew the excitement that accompanied a perfectly timed heel-toe downshift, I can guarantee they'd be hooked.

You know what we need? We need a crusade. We need to save the manuals! Not only are manual transmissions often more fuel-efficient than their two-pedal counterparts, you also can't text while operating one. So let's lobby carmakers to produce more of these things because they're safer and more frugal, and let's not tell them that they're way more fun. Let's train our offspring in the ancient ways of the stick shift. Let all of us knights of the clutch pedal drive our manual-equipped cars to Washington and pop 'em in front of Barry O's house.

Won't you join the cause? —Eddie Alterman

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS IN BACKFIRES
Use the comments section below to connect with like-minded enthusiasts who share your passion for the stick shift. We might even pass along the smartest, most thoughtful, and most heartfelt comments to those who need to hear from you, like Ferrari capo Luca di Montezemolo. While you're there, join the Backfires Save the Manuals group.

BECOME A FAN OF SAVE THE MANUALS ON FACEBOOK
'Nuff said. Use the widget to the left or head over to the Save the Manuals page on Facebook and show your friends that you love rowing your own as much as virtual farming.

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE
Send an impassioned, respectful message to your local Senator or Representative, or even to the President. Visit usa.gov for contact information or, to keep it even more grassroots, hit your state's website to contact your state government. Will it make a difference? Uh, maybe?

TRAIN THE UNINITIATED
Grab an automatic-afflicted friend and show them the ropes. Or use tools such as Meetup.com, Facebook, and Twitter—even Blingee.com if you're into sparkly e-cards—to plan a manual-transmission training session in your area. Spread the knowledge and you'll spread the love.